Mestalla to continue as venue for food drive initiative through to July 2021

Valencia CF have signed an extension of their agreement with the Banco de Acción Solidaria charity, through which -with the help of the CaixaBank volunteer programme- food from the Banco de Alimentos food bank will continue to be provided to those in need at Mestalla. The initiative is part of the club's 'AMUNTWorld' social commitment campaign, and was put in place back in May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

VCF president Anil Murthy was accompanied by Xicu Costa, regional director for CaixaBank in Valencia; Jaime Serra, president of the Banco de Alimentos, Julio Pròsper, president of the Banco de Acción Solidaria, and club ambassadors Ricardo Arias, Miguel Ángel Bossio and Miguel Tendillo, as they oversaw the latest distribution of foodstuffs at the stadium on Tuesday.

The crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the situation for hundreds of families in the region. The food drive has been established with a schedule of twice a week on alternate weeks, and by the end of 2020 is set to have helped over 10,000 people.

VCF president Anil Murthy was accompanied by Xicu Costa, regional director for CaixaBank in Valencia; Jaime Serra, president of the Banco de Alimentos, Julio Pròsper, president of the Banco de Acción Solidaria, and club ambassadors Ricardo Arias, Miguel Ángel Bossio and Miguel Tendillo, as they oversaw the latest distribution of foodstuffs at the stadium on Tuesday.

The crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the situation for hundreds of families in the region. The food drive has been established with a schedule of twice a week on alternate weeks, and by the end of 2020 is set to have helped over 10,000 people.

Anil Murthy: “From day one, the club have been involved in this social initiative to help the people of Valencia”

 “We have to continue with this social responsibility. It’s a project that, since the beginning, has seen the club get involved in such an important cause. This goes beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, but that is continuing to make things worse for many people.

The queues were much longer today. I think that it’s a project that the club need to continue supporting, to help here in Valencia.”

Xicu Costa: “Having this space to carry out this initiative is very positive”

“Historically, we have participated in Banco de Alimentos initiatives, and we are obviously partners to Valencia CF. Having this space and this positive media impact means that this big problem that has come about from the COVID-19 pandemic -which existed before but has been multiplied by ten- can have a positive impact for the people who are in need. We are delighted, because these are our origins, our values and our social commitment. It’s an optimal way of reaching a lot of people.

Julio Pròsper: “We are giving a lot of food to those in need”

 “It’s very important. We are giving a lot of food to those in need, and that is something that, besides making us happy, also makes us sad at the same time. It’s a double-edged sword. We are very happy to be able to help people, and we thank Valencia CF for being so kind as to lend us their facilities for those who need us.

Jaime Serra: “We are set to help over 10,000 people this year

“First of all, we need to thank Valencia CF, the club president and all of the members of the club for helping us with our daily work. In April-May there were 600 people, and now there are 6000. We are aiming to have helped 10,000 people here by December, serving them from Mestalla within the city of Valencia.  I think that it’s a great honour for everybody -it definitely is for me- and  think that we are in tune with one another. These are dignified facilities where people can come along. We are very happy and very grateful.”